This audit assessed whether strategies to reduce the State’s reliance on landfill for dealing with household, construction, demolition, commercial and industrial waste have been successful. Landfills are regarded as necessary for dealing with waste. However, they are also known producers of toxins that can leach into the soil and groundwater, and methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

We focused on implementation of the Western Australian Waste Strategy: Creating the Right Environment (Waste Strategy), by the Waste Authority, with support from the Department of Environment Regulation (DER). We sought extensive feedback from a range of community, industry and government stakeholders, who are all involved in the day to day recovery and disposal of waste.

Background

Western Australia’s (WA) waste production was estimated at 6.2 million tonnes, or 2.4 tonnes per person, in 2014-15.[1] Only 42% was diverted from landfill (waste diversion), largely due to the relatively cheap cost of landfill, which encouraged waste disposal.

Waste can also be a valuable resource when properly managed. But, national reporting in 2010‑11 found that WA’s diversion rate of 39% was lower than most other states and territories, and much lower than the national rate of 60%.[2]

The combination of a lack of local markets for recycled waste and lengthy transport distances are 2 of the main waste management challenges for WA. Population increases are likely to see waste generation increase unless there is concerted effort by the whole community, including government and industry, to avoid, reduce and recycle waste.

In line with Australia’s National Waste Policy: Less Waste More Resources,[3] the State Government developed the Waste Strategy, which was released in March 2012 after consultation with industry, local government (LG) and regional councils (RCs).[4] The Waste Strategy’s vision is to move to a low-waste society by reducing waste generation, increasing the amount of resources recovered and reducing disposal to landfill for both metropolitan and regional WA.

The Waste Strategy includes targets and is supported by an annual business plan. The business plan sets out a number of projects to be funded that year. Each project should have a business case that details the objectives, agency and stakeholder roles, costs, benefits and risks.

There are a variety of options available to manage waste depending on waste streams and local conditions. Avoiding waste production is the State’s preferred method to reduce waste generation, followed by recovery of materials for reuse, reprocessing and recycling. Energy recovery may be suitable for residual waste instead of landfilling, which is the least preferred waste management option.

Waste is typically managed as 1 of 3 streams:

• municipal solid waste (MSW) – waste from households, public places and public buildings, collected by LGs or their contractors
• construction and demolition (C&D) – material generated from commercial, government or residential building and demolition sites
• commercial and industrial (C&I) – waste originating from commercial and/or industrial activities (e.g. metals, paper, cardboard, plastic, food organics, glass, timber).

The Waste Strategy defines targets for waste diversion for metropolitan and major regional centres and for the 3 waste streams. It also outlines 5 strategic objectives and priorities, focusing effort on: long-term planning, regulatory services, best practice guidelines, economic incentives to support waste diversion and resource recovery, and communication.

Private industry, LGs, and RCs are waste operators and dispose and recover waste materials, but managing waste as a resource and planning for infrastructure requirements is a State responsibility.

Legislation and responsibilities

The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2007 (WARR Act) is the principal legislation for waste management. The Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act) is the primary legislation to regulate waste in WA to prevent, control and abate pollution and environmental harm.

The WARR Act, amongst other things, established the Waste Authority, a 5 member statutory authority whose members are appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister for the Environment (Minister). The Waste Authority’s responsibilities include to:

• provide strategic and policy advice to the State Government
• implement policies, plans and programs consistent with the Waste Strategy
• apply funding from the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account (WARR Account), to strategic initiatives.

Operating in conjunction with the WARR Act is the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Levy Act 2007 (WARR Levy Act).

Under this Act, a landfill levy was established on waste received at licensed landfill sites within the Perth metropolitan area or metropolitan waste disposed at regional landfills. The levy aims to discourage waste disposal to landfill while also providing funds for use by the Waste Authority to encourage resource recovery and alternative waste treatment options.

The WARR Levy Act requires at least 25% of the levy to be paid into the WARR Account. The other 75% is paid by DER to the State by way of an owner distribution. From 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2016, the WARR Account received $108 million in landfill levy payments, and $9 million in interest and other miscellaneous income, of which $98 million was distributed.[5] A balance of $11 million was transferred from its predecessor, the Waste Management and Recycling Account.

Under the WARR Act, the Minister must provide the Waste Authority with ‘services and facilities as are reasonably necessary to enable it to perform its functions’. DER provides the Waste Authority with these services and facilities.

DER also administers the EP Act. DER’s additional waste-related services include to:

• license ‘prescribed premises’ that undertake activities listed in Schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection Regulations 1987, such as landfills, to regulate emissions and discharges to the environment
• develop policies and strategies that promote environmental outcomes.

[1]     ASK Waste Management (2016). Recycling Activity in Western Australia 2014-15.

[2]     Commonwealth Department of the Environment (2013). National Waste Reporting 2013.

[3]     Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2009). National Waste Policy: Less Waste, More Resources.

[4]     A regional council is a subsidiary of 2 or more LGs that provide services such as waste and environmental management to its member councils.

[5]     Source: Waste Authority annual reports.